The system is the the system, and some people work the system to their advantage, and some people complain about the system because they just can't seem to make it, or do well with it. My first ever Loretta's experience was in 1995 (10 years after Knox) in the +25 class and Open B class at the time. The same system that was used then is still used today, with 8 Area Qualifiers advancing 8 riders each (64 possible guaranteed entries into a regional) to regionals of which there were 7 Regions. Northeast, Southeast, Mideast, North Central, South Central, Northwest, and Southwest Regions. And basically, the best of the best qualify for Loretta Lynn's no matter where they qualify from. Over the years, I've only ever gone to Mid East (Home region) or Northeast (Western PA D-5 was my racing home for years) to qualify for Loretta's depending on the time of the regional and conflicts with my family beach vacation in June. I've seen only a handful of riders that have been at Loretta's that are clearly out of their league and in the wrong place. And almost all of those riders qualified out of Southwest Region and took a guaranteed spot from a wildly low attendance class so that they could make it to Loretta's and live out their dream of racing there. I had a friend do it in the +35 class one year, and he was WAY back every moto and a danger to himself and others racing in the class but he got to check a thing off his bucket list. All of these people stating that if you have enough money to race anywhere can pay your way in are about 99% off, it happens in rare occasions in classes that are lightly attended in only the Northwest or Southwest that won't travel all the way to Tennessee for the National. They have their own races to satisfy their needs of Vet Racing (which is about the only place it happens).
If you aren't fast enough to be at the front of the pack ALL THE TIME locally, than you probably won't make it to Loretta's. It's as simple as that. Because you are talking about the top 42 Riders (in most classes that aren't split class) in the country, and that's less than 1 per state. And we all know some states have lots of really fast guys and send more than 1 guy to the National Championship, which means less than 1 per state. Add a few Canadians, a few foreigners from other places(young guns looking to make it in America), and you are looking at a very small chance to make it into the event, which is why it's a dream of many to be able to ride this event that is really hard to make. It's a dream race just to make it there for 99% of the Motocross racers out there, only the 1% actually get to do it.
And YES, MX Sports figured out this system and works it to their full advantage of taking advantage of making money off of people's dreams!!!! People spend TONS of money trying to get there, and they are collecting it, hyping it up, and making the most of anyone in the country off of our need to qualify for the National Amateur MX Championship!!!!! Good for them for seeing the opportunity and taking advantage of it and making it so great that we all argue about this every year!!!!!
I, personally, love the racing at the Regionals for the great competition and tracks that they are usually held at. I love the big stage and the fierce competition no matter what place I'm battling for. And Loretta's is the same, I was fortunate to be able to run at the front of the VET B/C class when I was that age and got a taste of the front of the pack there, but I have had just as much fun racing in AGE classes that are not "B/C, or Sportsman" type classes where I get lapped every moto by some old pro that I used to watch on TV, because if I'm riding in 25th place in my class, I'm working my butt off to try to get the guy in 24th, while the guy in 26th is working his butt off to try to get me. I love the 24 minute long battle where everything comes to play in the moto. Who can get a start, who can make a pass, who can ride ruts, who can ride the sand section, who can get the whoops clean, who can stand the heat, who can last 24 minutes at WFO, in the end, who is the better motocrosser on that given day. One of my biggest accomplishments was the first moto in a Loretta's class that included old pros where I stayed on the lead lap, I worked my butt off for that, and knowing that I could hang within 2 minutes of the pro's was a major accomplishment for me.
Loretta's is the crown jewel of Amateur MX racing, and in the end, if you or your child can't make it there, it's because it's the best of the best and you need to be better than you are to get a spot in the SHOW. It really is the top 1% of all riders out there that are racing. All of this arguing every year about it really boils down to one of 2 things. First, People that wish they were collecting the money and running the event because they are seeing how much people will spend to make it there. Or Second, people that are pissed off that they can't make into a class there no matter how hard they try or how much they spend on bikes, parts, racing, training, and traveling to get there and are looking for a reason why the system is rigged against them keeping them from being able to race there. In either case, people are jealous in one way or another of what someone else has or can do, it's as simple as that.